Governor for gas-engines



No. 623,630. Patented Apr.. 25,1899.

J. C. SCHNEBL'E. GOVERNOR FUR GAS E NGINES.

(Application led Dec. 20, 1897.)

2 sheets-sheet i.

(N0 Model.)

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No. 623,630. Patented Apr. 25, |899. J. C. SCHNEBLE.

GOVERNOR FOR GAS ENGINES.

(Application led Dec. 20, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

x I I I l Nrrn STATES 'JOSEPH C. SOHNEBLE, OF ST MARYS, OHIO.

GOVERNOR FOR GAS-ENGINES.-

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,630, dated April 25,1899.

Application filed December 20, 1897. Serial No. 662,529. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. SCHNEBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Marys, in the county of Auglaize, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Governors for Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in governorsfor engines designed to operate by the explosion in the cylinder of'amixture of air and a stable gas, such as illuminating-gas, or a mixtureof air and an explosive vapor, such as that obtained from thevaporization of gasolene or naphtha.

The objects of the invention are to provide a governor for such engineswhich will be simple in character, very delicate in its operation, andcapable of fine adjustments. In order that these objects may beaccomplished, I adopt the general form of the engine illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, to

' which attention is directed for the more complete understanding of thesame.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the improved gas-engine;Fig. 2, a rear view of the saine; Fig. 3, an enlarged View of myimproved governor, showing the connections I between the same andthe'gas-valve; and Fig.

4, a plan view of Fig. 3.

In all the above views corresponding parts are representedbycorresponding numbers of reference.

The engine is carried on a bed-plate 1, which may be of a singlecasting. A cylinder 2 is preferably bolted tosaid bed-plate, although itmay be cast therewith, if desired. The said cylinder is provided withthe ordinary water-j acket, by which it may be cooled.

The bed -plate 1 is provided with suitable bearings 3, carrying the mainshaft 4, on each end of which is carried a fly-wheel 5, as is common inengines of the type to which my invention relates. The piston for thecylinder 2, which may be of any suitable character, is provided with apiston-rod 6, which connects with the crank 7 of the main shaft 4e. Theelements referred to are well known and prominent in the art. Hence Imake no claim for the same. Arranged in suitable bearings 7/ at one sideof the bed-plate l, so as to extend parallel to the cylinder, is acam-shaft S, deriving motion from the main shaft 4 and rotating,preferably, at one-half the speed of the latter. Any suitable gearing isinterposed between said cam-shaft 8 and the main shaft to effect this1novement.- Upon the cylinderhead 9 of the cylinder 2 is carried a heavycasting 10, having a gas-and-airpassage 11 therein, said passage 11being provided with a valve-seat 12, with which cooperates the mainvalve 13. The stem 14 of said valve may extend down to the casting 10,as shown. This valve is normally seated by the pressure within thecylinder; but upon the suctionstroke of the piston it is elevated, so asto draw into the cylinder the necessary mixture of air and gas and makethe explosion. Connected with the casting 10 is a separate mixer-box l5,having at its lower end an opening 16 for the admission of air bysuction.

17 is the main gas-pipe, opening into the mixer-box 15 near its lowerend, said pipe being provided with a valve-seat 1S, normally.

closed by the gas-valve 19. The pipe 17 is connected to the gas-supplyor to-a suitable carbureter in case the engine is used with an unstablevapor. The gas-pipe 17 may be provided with aV regulating-valve 20,having a handle 2l cooperating with a suitable scale and by which thesupply of gas may be regulated, as will be understood and as iscommon inthis art. o The stem of the gas-valve 19 extends upwardly through thegas-pipe, being suitably packed to prevent leakage, and terminates atits upper end in an inclined surface 22, with which a iinger- 23,carried on -a hit-and-miss lever 24, may'engage when the speed of theengine is sufficiently low, but which finger will miss said inclinedsurface when the speed of the engine is above the desired point. Thehit-and-miss lever 24 is connected at its lower end with a lever 25,pivoted to a bracket 26 and having a frictionroller 27 at its free end,and which roller cooperates with a cam-surface 28 on the camshaft S. Inorder that the position of .the hit-and-miss lever 2 4 may bedetermined, so that it will either engage or avoid engagement with theupper end of the stem of the gas-valve, I connect the said hit-and-misslever with a suitable governing device which is more particularlyillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4L. Carried upon the cylinder 2 or bed-plate1 is a bracket 29, in the end of which is rigidly IOO mounted a longbearing-sleeve 30. Carried within the bore of said sleeve is a verticalgovernor-shaft 3l, which is provided at its lower end with abevel-pinion 32, meshing with a bevel-gear on the cam-shaft S. Thebearing-sleeve 30 may be secured in place within the bracket 29 byaset-screw BLW/hereby it may be adjustable vertically, if desired.Mounted upon the governor-shaft 3l, above the bracket 29, is a longcollar 255, which collar is keyed to said governor-shaft, whereby itwill rotate with the same but be capable of vertical movement thereon.The collar 35 is provided at its upper end with two pairs of ears 36,and between each pair of ears is pivoted a governor-ball 37, hanginf,rdownward. Said governor-balls are each provided with a bell-crank lever3S, one end of which engages a recess 39 in the governorshaftl, and saidgovernor-balls are normally held in a vertical position by a spring 40,connecting` the same. The tension of this spring maybe regulated by thenuts 41, working on the adjusting-bolt et?, as will be understood. Inorder to limit the upward movement of thc collar 35, I provide anadjustable limiting-stop 43 at the upper end of the governor-shaft 31.It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 4 that the collar 35 is cut awayat each side, so as to allow it to pass the bellcrank levers 38 on itsupward movement. The collar 35 is provided with the usual groove 4iformed therein, with which groove coperates the yoke 45 in the ordinaryinanner. Said yoke is carried on one end of a lever 4G, which lever isfast to one end of a short shaft 50, journaled in a bearing 47, castwith the bracket 29. Said lever 46is preferably' provided at its outerend with a coiled spring 4S, extending between the same and anauljusting-screw 49, the latter engaging the bracket 29, as shown. Byelevating or lowering this adjusting-screw 49 the tension upon the endof the lever 4G may be regulated so as to normally keep the collar 35 inits lowermost position. Upon the other end of the shaft 50, to which thesaid lever-t6 is connected, is secured a downwardly-extendingcontrolling-lever 5l, having a slotted open lower end 52, and the saidslotted end. cooperates with a pin or stud 53 on the upper end of thehit-and-miss lever 2i, so that as the collar 35 is elevated bythe actionof the governor-balls the controlling-lever 5l will be opera-ted, if thespeed is sufficiently high, to throw the hit-and-miss lever to one side,so that it will not engage the gas-valve, and the latter will thereby bekept closed.

The engine may be provided with a separate exhaust-chamber 54, securedto one side thereof, said chamber having an exhaust-passage 55 therein,`the exit 5G of which connects, preferably,with a suitable mu ftler (notshown) or directly with the atmosphere. The exhaust-passage 55 isadapted to be normally closed by an exhaust-valve 57, said exhaustvalvebeing provided with a stem 5S, which extends through a suitable box 59in the end of the exhaust-chamber.

G0 represents the exhaust-operating lever, which is pivoted to the sideof the bed-plate l or to the side of the cylinder, having a horizontalarm provided at its end with a friction-roller 61 and a vertical armhaving an adjusting-screw G2 therein, which adjustingscrew is adapted toengage with the end of .the stem 5S to open the exhaust-valve 57 at theright moment and maintain the same open during the exhaust-s troke. Inorder that this y may be accomplished, the friction-roller Gl cooperateswith a suitable cam (53 on the camshaft 8. main valve, is provided abovesaid valve with an explosion-chamber G4, which may be integral with saidcasting or a separate elcment, said explosion-chamber beingincommuni'cation with the interior of the cylinder, so that upon thecompression-stroke it will be supplied with the compressed explosivemixture. In this explosion-chamber I carry the electrodes for producingthe spark. It is possible to use fixed electrodes in said chamber and toproduce the spark by an inductioncoil. I may employ a stationaryelectrode in the explosion-chamber and a movable electrode carried on ashaft G7, mounted in a suitable bearing in the rear face of saidexplosion-chamber. The shaft 67 is provided on the outside of theexplosion-chamber with a finger G9, with which coperates anadjusting-screw 70, carried on the end of what I term a separating-lever7l. The said separating-lever is pivoted at or about its center,preferably upon an eccentric 72, the position of which may be adjustedbya lever 73. The free end of the separating-lever 7l is adapted to begradually'elevated and suddenly allowed to dropby a suitable cam 74 onthe cam-shaft S. The said lever maintains its position to keep theelectrodes normally separated by means of a spring 75. The twoelectrodes are allowed to make contact with each other as the free endlof the separating-lever is elevated by the cam 74E in 'any suitable Waysuch, for example, as by making the finger G9 sufliciently heavy, or byemploying a spring to effect such movement, or bypositively connectingthe adjusting-screw with the finger 69.

The operation of my improved gas-engine is as follows: It is of thewell-known four-cycle type, there being an explosion under ordinarycircumstances on every second outward stroke of the piston. After theexplosive stroke the exhaust-stroke expels the products of combustionfrom the cylinder. Upon the next outward or suction stroke the newcharge of air and the explosive agent are driven into the cylinder, uponthe second return or compression stroke the said charge iscompressed,and upon the next outward stroke it is exploded. It beingunderstood in the particular embodiment of my invention the lever orcam-shaft S turns at one-half the speed of The casting l0, which carriesthc IIO the crank-shaft 4, the several cams 28, 63, and 74 will bebrought around into contact with their several coperating elements toeffect this cycle of operation. Upon the suctionstroke the gas-cam 2Swill elevate the outer end ofthe lever 25, causing the hit-and-misslever 24 to engage the upper end of the stem of the gas valve 19 andopen said valve, whereupon the supply of gas will be drawn by suctionthrough said valve, and upon entering the mixing-chamber 15 will bemixed with the proper supply of air, this mixture then passing throughthe passage Il, the main valve 13 being elevated by the suction. The cam28 is so arranged that the gas-valve 19 will be opened an instant'beforethe commencement of the suction stroke and be closed a sufficient timebefore the conclusion of that stroke, as to allow the gas-supply to bedrawn int-o the cylind-er and prevent waste thereof through themixer-box. Upon the compression-stroke all of the cams are inactiveexcept the igniter-cam 74, which is slowly elevating the lower en d ofthe separating-lever 7l and allowing the electrodes to be brought intocontact. This contact occurs at the finish of the compression-stroke.Immediately upon the starting of lthe explosive stroke the free end ofthe separating-lever drops down off of the igniter-cam and the upper endthereof positively' engages the finger G9, so as to force it up andrapidly separate the contacts G5 and 66. This causes a spark betweensaid contacts, which ignites the charge and impels the piston forward.After the explosive stroke has been made and almost upon its completionthe exhaust-cam 63 is commencing to slowly elevate the lever 60, causingthe exhaust-valve 57 to be opened, whereby upon the exhaust-stroke theproducts of combustion will be forced down the cylinder through saidexhaust-valve. The operation of the cam-shaft is rapidly rotating thegovernor-shaft 31, carrying the collar 35 with it and running the balls37 at high speed, said balls by centrifugal effect spreading outward,and by reason of their connection to the bell-crank levers 3S (which arefulcrumed in the recesses 39 in the shaft 3l) they tend to elevatethemselves, the ears 3G, and the collar 35, such elevation carrying theyoke 45' upward and swinging the controlling-lever 5l. This movement ofthe controlling-lever 5l, if sufficiently great, movesv the hit-andmisslever out ofthe path of the upper end of the gas-valve, so that upon thesuctionstroke said gas-valve will not be open and the engine will missin consequence the succeeding explosive stroke, whereby the speed willbe sufficiently reduced to allow the hitand-miss lever to again engagesaid gas-valve, so asto continue the cycle of operation referred to.

By providing several coperating parts of the device with the forms ofadjustment illustrated a very perfect and accurate operation may beobtained. The exhaust-valve is very nicely adjusted both as to the timeand extent of its movement by the adjusting-screw G2. The opening of thegas-valve is effectively regulated by weakening or increasing thetension of the spring 48.

Having now described my' invention, what 4I claim as new, and' desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. An improved governor for gas or analogous engines, comprisinga shaftdriven from the engine, a centrifugal device operated by said shaft, agas-valve controlling the admission of the explosive mixture to thecylinder, a hit-and-miss lever for operating said gasvalve, a`bell-crank lever connecting the centrifugal device and said hit-and-misslever, and an adjustable spring coperating directly with said bell-cranklever for regulating the resistance of said bell-crank lever inopposition to the movements of the centrifugal device, substantially asset forth.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder, piston andcrank-shaft, of a main gas-pipe, a gas-valve in said gas-pipe, ahitand-miss lever adapted to normally engage the stem of the gas-valveto open the same, connections between the crank-shaft and saidhit-and-miss lever for operating thelatter, a governor-shaft,connections between the governor-shaft and crank-shaft for operatingsaid governor-shaft, a collar carried by the governor-shaft,governor-balls for moving said collar longitudinally on the shaft by thecentrifugal effect, a yoke coperating directly vwith said collar, aspring coperating with the yoke for resisting the centrifugal effect, acontrolling-lever operated from said yoke, and connections between saidcontrolling-lever and the hit-and-miss lever, substantially as setforth.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder, piston andcrank-shaft, of a main gas-pipe, a gas-valve in said gas-pipe, ahitand-miss lever adapted to normally engage the stem of the gas-valveto open the same, connections between the crank-shaft and said jhit-and-miss lever for operating the latter,a

governor-shaft, connections between the governor-shaft and crank-shaft,a 'collar carriedl by said governor-shaft, governor-balls for movingsaid collar longitudinally on the shaft by the centrifugal effect, arock-shaft, a yoke carried on one end of said rock-shaft and cooperatingwith said collar, a controlling-lever carried by the other end of saidrock-shaft, and connections between said controlling-lever and thehit-and-miss lever, substantially as set forth.

4. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder, piston andcrank-shaft, of a cam-shaft operated from said crank-shaft, a gas-cam onsaid cam-shaft, a main gas-pipe, a gas-valve in said gas-pipe, ahit-and-miss lever operated by said gas-cam and adapted to normallyengage the stem of the gas-valve IIO ` said yoke and connections betweensaid eontrolling-lever, and :L hit-and-miss lever, sub stnntinlly as setforth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of November, 1897.

' JOSEPH C. SCHNEBLE.

\Vitnesses:

'WAL U. IIOUNEL,

MICHAEL FITZGERALD.

